Opatija

Kristin was at breakfast. It turns out that she is going on a boat trip and then straight back to Zagreb. In retrospect I probably should have devoted some time to Rovinj, about 40 km up the coast. I can't explain why, unless I was tired of coastal towns. Time to move on and head back east. There is a YH in Rijeka but it is some way out of town. I want to visit Opatija, about 15 km west of Rijeka. I figured that I would waste too much time and money travelling back and forth between Rijeka and Opatija, that I might as well hop off at Opatija and find private accommodation. I explained this argument to an Aussie couple that I met at the bus station who turned out to be from St. Ives, also in Sydney, but I guess they weren't convinced.

Opatija (accent on the O) is situated in a sheltered position on the Gulf of Kvarner. It used to be a favourite resort of the Austrians, possibly because of the agreeable climate in both summer and winter, and because it is close to Rijeka, which is accessible from Austria by rail. So a few buildings have that fin-de-siècle look and there are European style gardens.

A tourist brochure I read stated: Opatija has a soothing and invigorating climate recommended for convalescing from cardiac conditions and all the other ills of contemporary life. They were probably writing the same things a century ago.

I wish I had taken a picture in the Aquarium restaurant, right in the middle of town, where I had a chicken schnitzel (very appropriate for the Austrian connections, no?). It isn't a pretty restaurant and the staff seem harried but it has that old look: wood paneling, etc. The food was alright.

The tourist bureau made a call and found me a private room just out of town. It's a bit on the expensive side. In fact I am getting a double unit for a discounted price, but on the other hand, it has a kitchenette and I can do my own cooking. Which is just as well, as I could not face another eat-out dinner. I picked up some groceries at the supermarket for dinner and breakfast. The owner left me on my own after getting his rent and handing me the key. I got the feeling that he was glad to rent it out as he wasn't likely to get any other tenant at short notice. It's also possible he wasn't going to declare the income.

I found the bright yellow of this shopping centre quite striking.

After dinner, I took to the Lungomare, a waterside promenade stretching about 12 km from roughly where I was staying, into the centre of town and beyond.

In several places the path went through areas where people were dining or enjoying the evening air.

I have a fondness for evening light and photos.

Fortunately the path is illuminated by street lamps, or there would be more mishaps.

Finally I found myself in town where the fish Restaurant Bevanda was doing good business. However it was out of my means. Just as well I had eaten. The town wasn't jumping. Not sure why, perhaps because of the slightly drizzly weather, perhaps because of the alcohol laws. I sauntered around a bit and then called it a night, walking back along the main road.